


Late-Night Visits

by AhlieraWrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-10 23:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5604358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AhlieraWrites/pseuds/AhlieraWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots, mostly Adrienette/MariChat. Every story will be a new chapter, and new chapters will be posted as I write them. See chapter summaries for more detailed descriptions/pairings of each one-off!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Swing Dances

**Author's Note:**

> I got an itch to write, but I never finish long stories. So I write a bunch of one-offs instead. I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien have a conversation about dances, which leads to fluff.

“I really appreciate you helping me out, Marinette.” Adrien opened the door of her sleek red car, dusting some paper scraps off of the passenger-side seat as he sat down.

“Oh, I-it's really no problem! I'm happy to help you, as always!” Marinette nervously slid into her seat, starting her car. “Helping people is kinda what I do!” She smiled sheepishly at the boy next to her. _Adrien is in my car. Adrien is in my car. Oh my God_. She was overwhelmed with excitement, but almost crippled by ner nervousness. What if this went horribly wrong (as everything relating to Adrien seemed to go)? He would never speak to her again but she'd have to see him every day and her life would be over.

“I like that about you, Marinette.” He smiled at her, but it quickly faded as he reclined on the door. “I just wish it didn't have to be sneaking around on the down low like this. I just- I need to get somewhere without my father finding out.” Marinette's heart ached as she watched his expression slip to sadness. _I wish there was a way I could help. I'd do anything._

She had no idea what to say though. “I'm sorry.” Was the best she could figure.

“Don't be. I'm sorry for making you do this! If I could drive it wouldn't be an issue. But I guess learning to do it was just too much freedom for my father to be comfortable with me having.” He smiled sadly, resting his cheek on his curled hand. “Ah, I didn't mean to bother you with my problems, though.”

 _Adrien, you couldn't bother me if you tried._ “Hey, don't worry about it! I'll always be willing to listen!” _Call me, please_. She turned to him briefly and flashed him a cheerful smile. She returned her focus to the road at hand, catching Adrien's appreciative smile in her peripheral vision. The pair settled into a comfortable silence for a while, as Marinette focused on driving safely.

“Hey, what kind of music do you listen to? A little might liven up this ride. Actually, let me guess!” He focused on her for a moment, chewing his lip in thought. _He looks adorable when he does that._ She met his eyes for a second, and somehow managed to laugh, despite screaming internally. There was just something about the situation that made her feel elated. Maybe it was her and her crush of several years in a car, just enjoying the company of each other. Or maybe it was that he had his focus on her-- and only her – for this moment.

“You like Pop music.” He stated. “But, occasionally you'll like to relax and listen to something classical and instrumental. That seems like you.”

“That's pretty close! I do love classical. But the other music I like is pretty dumb. I doubt you'd like it.” She had some idea of what Adrien liked, but she doubted he would enjoy the same genres she did. She was pretty sure he liked piano-based music. But maybe that was her bias, knowing he played it. Did he even like playing the piano, or did his father just insist he learn? She'd have to ask.

“C'mon,at least tell me what it is before you assume I won't like it, Marinette.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I'm interested to hear a little, at least.”

She let out a small sigh, unsure of what to do _. He'll think it's so dumb. I don't want him to hate it. But maybe he will. I should just go for it. Worst that happens is he judges my taste in music forever, right?_ “Ah, it's called Electro Swing.” She glanced at him briefly, and saw only confusion on his face.

“Electro Swing?”

“Yeah. It's not some kind of hipster thing, I-I promise!” _Oh my God it totally is._ “It's like, 20's-style swing dance music. But, electro-y-er.” _That was dumb. Why did I say that. Electro-y-er? What does that even mean? I'm such an idiot._

“That sounds...interesting, actually. Can you swing dance?” He cocked an eyebrow at her inquisitively.

“A little. I'm not very good, though, since I don't practice much. It's a little hard to, without a teacher. Or a partner.” She shrunk into her steering wheel. Why did I acknowledged that I'm a socially awkward loser? I'm such an idiot. Adrien looked simply...amused.

“It just so happens I can do a little swing dancing, too. I could be a teacher and partner.” He smiled, and shrugged his shoulder.

 _Is this an invitation to ask him? Or just making conversation? Oh God what if it is and I ask? What if it isn't and I ask? That's be so awkward. I'd die. Right here. This car would crash and I would go up in flames and my embarrassment would still live on. I can't ask him._ “O-Oh! That's neat! I didn't think you were the type to dance. I'd agree to, but I'd probably trip over my own feet and get a concussion or something, I tend to do that, ha ha!” _I messed up. I messed up real bad. I blew it. I blew my only chance. Why am I-_

Adrien looked disappointed, but he chuckled regardless, and continued, “Do you remember Gangam Style? I could do that dance like a pro.” His chuckle turned into full-blown laughter as be buried his face in his hand. “I can't believe I used to do that. So embarrassing.”

Marinette couldn't help but laugh along with him. The mental image of Adrien dancing in any way was a stretch for her, but that dumb dance? There was no way. “Are you going to learn the dance from Daddy, too?”

“Maybe I'll try!” He laughed again. “A bit topical too, isn't it? Oh! Take a left here!”

Marinette turned onto a side road, one unfamiliar to her. “Are you sure this is where you want to go? It seems a bit...shady.”

“I know, but I'm sure.” He unfastened his seat belt, and stepped out of the car. He held the roof, leaning in slightly before he left. “Thank you again. I really mean it. Let me know if you need anything, 'cause I owe you one for this. And I meant it about the dancing, too, if you change your mind!” He smiled, waved, and stepped away from the car.

“Oh my God I'm such an idiot.” Marinette let her head fall onto her steering wheel. “He did mean it! Why didn't I ask when it first came up? I had a golden opportunity and I ruined it!”  
  
Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse. “Hey, he gave you another opportunity, too! Use that!”

“I will! But, maybe not tonight. I think I need to mentally recover from how dumb I am.”

\---------

Chat Noir leapt from the rooftops, gracefully making his way to the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug had made a plan to set an ambush for the Akuma there, and hopefully take him out without causing too much collateral damage. Although, that never really seemed to work out. Still, Ladybug could do her weird time-reverse fix-everything magic and it would all be fine. Totally. He quickly reached the tower, and settled himself comfortably on the metalwork of the base. He hummed to himself as he waited. After his car ride with Marinette, he had looked into the Electro Swing she said she liked. _It's pretty good. It makes me want to dance, though. When was the last time I did that? I should practice, in case Marinette changes her mind._

He leapt from his perch as Ladybug arrived on the scene. “Chat!” She tucked her yo-yo away, and looked at him quizzically. “All we have to do now is wait. And...what are you doing?” She watched him with a puzzled look as he moved his feet the way he remembered swing dancing to go.

“I'm practicing.” He looked up at her with one of his signature shit-eating grins, and started moving back with a moonwalk. “I was talking to a friend earlier today-” He shook out his body, getting ready for his next move, “-and she told me about some music she liked!” He stretched out his arms, and started moving his feet, slowly at first. He looked up at her, grinning. She looked at him with a furrowed brow, as if she was thinking hard. _She's mesmerized by me. I bet she's thinking about how to copy me!_ He thought smugly. He picked up his pace, tossing his feet and shuffling around Ladybug. “I think it was called Electro Swing? It was pretty good. A little same-y though. Anyway, I told her I'd help her dance, but I'm a bit out of practice. I don't know if she even wants to, but I figure I'd better be ready either way!” He laughed, watching Ladybug's expression change from thought, to disbelief. “I know, right? I thought I was gonna be terrible picking this back up, but I'm still pretty good!”

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “You know, it's best to swing dance with a partner, my lady. Care to join?” He reached out a hand, which she glanced at, still unbelieving, and shook her head. His ears fell flat for a short moment as he visibly deflated. But, he shrugged the rejection off. _She'll come on to me yet!_ “Your loss!” He switched dances, trying to remember the way the other song Marinette mentioned had gone. _I should have watched the video again. Was it this?_ He threw his arms and legs back and forth haphazardly, trying to remember what he was actually supposed to do. “Damn it. I shudda checked...Hey, Lady, you alright?” He looked at Ladybug again, who looked like she had just seen a ghost.

“Hey,” He sauntered towards her, spinning tail as he went. “I know I'm pretty good, but-”

“A-Adrien?”

“...What?” He checked over his shoulder, as if it could be anyone else. How did she know my name? Did I do something I shouldn’t have? His eyes widened. “How...?”

“I-I just...” She kept his gaze for a moment, but shook her head. “You can't be...No, no. I get it.”

“Get what? Ladybug, I'm confused.”

“Because, Adrien was with-” She was interrupted suddenly by a blast of fire from the sky.

“Shit!” Chat Noir hissed, leaping away from the flames. Well, no time for this now!

  
\---------

  
Chat watched Ladybug purify the Akuma with unease. He sat upon a rooftop, his legs pulled underneath him. _How did she know?_ The thought had been distracting him the whole fight. It was still an easy take down compared to most, but he still felt bad about not being on top of his game. Ladybug seemed equally bothered, however.

“I'm losing spots! Gotta run, Chat!”

“Ladybug, wait!”

But she was off without another word. Chat Noir hadn't actually had to make use of Cataclysm this time around, so he was in no hurry, but she certainly was. More than usual it seemed.

What was really bugging Chat Noir wasn't that Ladybug seemed to know who he was – but how. All he had been doing was some goofy dancing...but in hindsight, it seemed like that got the gears in her head going. How could she relate to that? He sat upon a rooftop, idly swinging his feet as he thought. That could only mean that Ladybug herself was Marinette, or at least someone that Marinette spoke to often. Alya was out of the question, according to the Law of Batman. He'd seen her and Ladybug in the same room before during that Lady Wifi kerfuffle. But the more he thought, the more Marinette being Ladybug made sense. Her mysterious disappearances, excuses, similar body type, eye color, all of it.

He could find out for sure, one way – to go visit Marinette herself. Over the past year he'd made a habit of doing so anyway. Marinette was always a reliable source of advice and encouragement for Adrien, so why not for Chat Noir, too? So he made frequent visits to her rooftop to simply chat the night away with her. Marinette often referred to the visits as his “therapy sessions”, and she wasn't totally wrong. The time he spent with Marinette seemed like the only regular thing in his life, and he cherished that.

He waited a while, to give her ample time if she needed it, and loped his way across the rooftops of Paris. He arrived at Marinette's a bit later than he'd thought. It was after 1:30 in the morning when he landed on her balcony. _She won't mind. She never does._ Chat Noir figured Marinette for a night owl anyway, figuring how late she slept in on – _Wait. Does she sleep in like that because she spends all night fighting Akumas? Things just seem to be adding up._ He grinned to himself. He was sure that his Ladybug was Marinette. It had to be. So all he had to do was act natural for a while, and eventually see if he could get her to spill the beans. Although, subtlety wasn't his strong point, and “acting natural” just wasn't a part of his demeanor. He'd wing it instead. That seemed more his style, anyway.

He inched forward to knock on her trapdoor, but hesitated. If Marinette was Ladybug and he knew it, and she knew that Adrien was Chat Noir... _Oh God, what a love circle we've been in_. The realization made him chuckle. He had to wonder, though. Marinette couldn't seem to figure out what she was doing around him as Adrien, aside from brief spurts of clarity when she had a goal in mind, but Ladybug was cool and collected. Maybe the mask was what gave her the confidence? That had to be it. Who wouldn't it give confidence to? It was just like himself.

But if she knew now, would she still trip over her thoughts around Chat Noir? He was interested to find out. He quickly knocked on the trapdoor three times, then paused before a fourth. Their code.

Marinette looked absolutely exhausted as she peeked through the trap door. “Aaah! Ch-Chat? Do you know what time it is?”

“It is –“ He checked the phone-like screen of his pole briefly, “exactly 1:56 in the A.M. I can leave, if you need to sleep.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, giving her his best grin.

“No! No. Just- gimme a second.” Chat went to lift the door with a finger to allow himself inside, but she forced it down on him with surprising strength.

“I said wait a minute! I'm not....Uh, never mind. Please just wait.” She snapped the door shut. Chat listened for a moment as she went down the ladder. _What is she hiding? Something I can't see, maybe relating to Ladybug?_ But, he would respect her wishes. The last thing he wanted was to ruin this relationship as it came to such an interesting turn.

She emerged from her room a minute later, carrying the usual late-night visit supplies under her arm; a pillow, her biggest, warmest blanket, and some doughnuts from downstairs.

Chat smiled as they settled into their usual positions: Marinette leaning on the side of the building, pillow behind her back, blanket over her shoulders with a comfortable Chat Noir wrapped in the other side. She seemed nervous as she set up this time, tripping over herself more than usual and hardly speaking a word. He usually liked to simply lean on her shoulder, but this time, maybe he'd try laying on some moves. After all, if Marinette knew who he really was, he was sure she wouldn’t mind. Or she would mind a lot, and this would end with her panicking so hard she collapsed. Chat figured it was worth a shot regardless of the outcome. So he let himself slip to the floor, curled up in a tight ball, and rested his head on her leg, burying his nose into her hip.

“I hope you don't mind me, I've just had a bit of a long night.” He purred. And he wasn't lying about it, but he couldn't contain his smug smirk as he watched Marinette's face change from confusion to mild panic. “I can move, if you want me to, Princess.”

“N-no, it's fine! If you're tired I wouldn't want to, ah, uuh...” She struggled for words, an excuse, or even a way to finish her sentence properly.

Chat chuckled softly as he stretched his left arm outward, curling his wrist and flexing his fingers to make his next play look as innocent as possible. “I don't know if anyone has ever told you this, My Lady, but you're adorable.” He let his arm fall across her lap, his hand resting on her opposite thigh as he closed his eyes and snuggled into her a bit more. Her heart rate increased, and she stiffened. He didn't need to see her face to know what was happening on it, he could just picture it perfectly. It was the same look as when Adrien gave her a heartfelt hug after a particularly bad spat with Chloe; Or when Ladybug thought he had taken a rapier to the chest. _How had I not noticed they were the same person before? I must be an idiot._

But here he was now, curled up and resting comfortably against the girl he'd yearned for, and who yearned for him. Even if the spots weren't on, it felt as right as he'd always imagined it would. Wordlessly, Marinette seemed o gain some confidence, and began to run her fingers through his hair, scratching below his black ears. He sighed contently, so perfectly and wholly happy in this moment he never wanted to end.

She relaxed a little, after a long moment of silence. “You have, often.” She rolled her eyes, sighing sarcastically. “I guess the game's up, huh?” Marinette added after a few silent minutes of simply enjoying each other's company.

“I guess so. It was fun while it lasted!” Chat turned onto his back, looking straight up into Marinette's blue eyes. She looked...relieved. Happy, even. And Chat Noir was glad she felt the same way he did. “Although I think this will be just as fun, don't you?” He reached up, gently running his fingers down her cheek.

She took his hand in hers, and kissed the back of it softly, as he always did to Ladybug. She met his eyes briefly, but quickly looked away, laughing as she buried her face in her hands. “I don't know how you do that!” She peeked through her fingers at his unbridled smile and laughed again. “It feels so ridiculous. Should I call you 'My Lady' too?”

“You can call me whatever you want, Princess,” he purred. Lifting himself off of her lap, he let the blanket fall around his shoulders as he rose gracefully to his feet.

“Wait, are you leaving already?” The disappointment in her voice was palpable.

“No, not just yet. Just, gimme a sec, alright? And this is going to seem bad, but trust me!” He quickly lifted the trapdoor to her room, leaping in before she could protest.

 _Let's see, I know it's around here somewhere....oh!_ He spotted a small, portable radio that he had given her in a secret Santa event not long ago. He took hold of it, and began to climb up the ladder. He paused as he touched the door _. This would feel more right if I just.._. He forced the guise of Chat Noir off, freeing Plagg from his ring. For once, the tiny black cat didn't have any kind of sassy remark, and quietly settled into a rung on the ladder. “Go get 'em, tiger,” was all he said.

Adrien nodded, and pushed the trapdoor open. Marinette had gotten up, and was leaning over the balcony, gazing over the rooftops of Paris. Quietly, he set the radio down, plugged his phone into it, and started playing a swing song Marinette had suggested to him. As she turned and saw not Chat Noir, but her friend and classmate of years, she regained her look of horror and stuttered something inaudible.

He looked at her, sadly. She knew he was the same, but still couldn't seem to contain her...usual self.

“I-I'm sorry.” She stammered, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt. “It's still...It's easier, when you have the mask on. Even if I know. I'm sorry.” She looked away from him, ashamed. “I can separate you and Chat in some ways. But not all.”

“Marinette,” He strode over to her, setting the radio down and taking one of her small hands in his. “I understand, and I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to be comfortable, and I'll do whatever I can to make you feel that way.” He smiled as she looked up him, but her expression was still sad. She ran her thumbs over the back of his hands, thoughtfully.

“Do you like me, Adrien?” She asked, carefully. “Or does Chat Noir like Ladybug?” _Oh._ His silence made her fidget uncomfortably, and she pulled her hands away from his. Adrien just...couldn't figure out how to word what he wanted to say. He loved Ladybug, that was true, but finding out that Ladybug and Marinette were the same made it...better. He felt as if he got the best of both worlds this way. All the confidence and grace of Ladybug, with the adorable charm and personality of Marinette, and the kindness and selflessness of both.

“I like you.” He finally said. “You and Ladybug are the same person, and all wearing that mask does is bring out the part of you that I never saw before. But all the things I liked about Ladybug, I see in you.” She looked up at him, blue eyes wide and sparkling. “I hope you can put up with me, honestly.” He flashed her a Chat-like grin, “I have a lot more puns in my arsenal I'm waiting to use.”

She laughed at that, reaching up to ruffle his hair. “I think I can manage.”

“I remember offering you a dancing lesson. Care to start now?” He held his hand out, waiting. And she stepped toward him, entwining her fingers through his.

“Of course. You haven't lost an ounce of skill, as I recall. But I'm probably going to step on your toes, so...be ready for that.” She didn't want to start dancing, though. _I'm going to look like such an idiot. No. I need to be confident. I am Ladybug! I can do a stupid dance! Besides, Adrien apparetnly has no shame, if he acts like Chat without the mask. I'm sure he wouldn't mind._

He lead her by the hand, spinning her around in and pulling her back, as she swirled around him as she picked up her feet, swinging gracefully. The pair laughed, keeping up the pace until the song was over. They huffed as it finished, grinning at each other like happy idiots.

“I think you're a natural at this.” Adrien leaned back against the balcony, pulling Marinette up against his chest. She blushed furiously, but wrapped him in a hug anyway. She rested her forehead on his shoulder.

“Thanks.” She murmured, letting out a quick huff as she caught her breath. “I'm glad you're here. This is a lot of fun!”

“Our school has a ballroom dance club, you know. If you wanted to, we could start going.” He played with the strap of her tank top idly.

“We should! I can't promise I'll have time for every session, though.”

“Being Ladybug is a lot of work, after all.” Adrien agreed.

“You say that like being Chat Noir isn't.” She cocked an eyebrow at him, tapping his nose with her finger.

“It isn't when I get to spend time with you.” He traced his knuckles up her throat, sending a shiver down her spine. He lifted her chin with a finger, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers.

She melted into him, humming sadly as Adrien pulled away, grinning like a happy idiot.

“Are you up for one more dance?” He asked.

“Always.” She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this concept called “Time to Trash” which marks the moment I begin a series up until the time I become and start producing complete trash for it. The “TtT” of mlb, for me, was 2 days. Also, please go look up the song Peggy Suave-Posin’ on Youtube. it’s great Electro-Swing.


	2. Accidents Happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette goes to the gym after a having too much pent up-energy, but Adrien arriving not long after causes her to have something of an accident. Fortunately for Marinette, even unlucky accidents can have lucky outcomes. Adrienette fluff!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started slapping my keyboard and 12,000 words of Adrienette fluff came out. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Adrien and Marinette are a bit older in this, like 18-19. 
> 
> Not for any reason in particular, though. 
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Adrien stared at his ceiling, blankly. His mind wandered from topic to topic, but never anything of importance. He had been cooped up all day, and he was starting to get stir-crazy. 

_I need to get out of this house before I go insane._

His weekend was totally, painfully free. Nino was gone on a family vacation until tomorrow, he had no photo shoots to attend, and all of his other friends weren't returning texts. He didn't know what to do with himself. He was a jittery mess but didn't have anything to work on. _I could go run around Paris for a bit, make sure nothing awful is happened. As long as I'm not here, doing nothing._

As if responding to his thought, Plagg didn't even bother looking at Adrien to scold, “Get a hobby.”

He scrunched up his nose and frowned. “I have hobbies! They just all involve sitting, and I can't just do that right now.”

“I don't see why not! That's what I do every day.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, sitting up. “Maybe I could go to the gym? I haven't done that in...longer than I can remember.”

“You work out?” Plagg chuckled to himself.

“Well, I used to before the whole, 'Chat Noir' thing. I get plenty of exercise that way, nowadays. But nothing's happened in so long. What if I lose my touch?” He ignored Plagg's snort, throwing whatever seemed useful into his duffel bag. He dug a pair of shorts out from his pile of laundry hidden away in the corner of his closet. “Alright, Plagg, Let's go!”

“Why do I have to come? I'm not the one trying to gain muscle mass, here.” Adrien rolled his eyes, and started leaving. “Hey! Wait! You can't leave without me! Adrien! I'm not that fast!”

 

Marinette was ecstatic. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she had a free day! Her homework was already done, Alya was gone for the weekend (though she refused to tell Marinette what it was for until she got back), and no Akuma had terrorized Paris in over two weeks! So she decided to make the most of her day. She woke up, full of so much life and energy even Tikki was surprised. She tried to sit and sketch, then sew, but found herself too antsy to keep still. It was a Sunday, so the bakery wasn't open, so she couldn't help there.

“Maybe I'll go for a jog? That sounds like fun! I haven't taken a normal stroll around Paris in way too long! I could probably go lift weights or something afterwards, if I'm feeling up to it.” She spoke half to herself, and half to her Kwami, who simply giggled. She quickly changed into something suitable, pulled her hair up into a single, high ponytail, grabbed a bag, and raced out the door. She didn't have any particular path in mind, other than maybe ending up at the gym at some point. She didn't know how long she ran for, simply enjoying the feel of it. Seeing Paris peaceful and sunny was a nice change from the usual Akuma disaster she seemed to be constantly dealing with.

“How long have you been jogging for, Marinette? Maybe you should take a break.” Tikki poked her head out of the bag, holding a water bottle in her fragile hands.

“I'm not done yet, Tikki! I'm really feeling those weights right now. At least then I'll be still, right? It's a compromise!” She grinned, loving the tired feeling in her legs and the sweat on her neck. She jogged to her usual workout location, checking in with the clerk she knew well.

“It's been a while, Marinette! Welcome back!”

“What can I say? I've been busy!” She immediately stuffed her bag in a locker (while still being mindful of Tikki) popped in her headphones, and bolted for the dumbbells.

 

She got so caught up in he music and workout that she didn't notice someone was calling her name until they tapped her on the shoulder. “Marinette? I didn't expect to see you here.”

She huffed, removing her headphones to turn and face whoever was poking her. “It's rude to inter-” She froze as she turned. _Adrien? What is he doing here? Oh God, My hair's a mess and I'm so sweaty oh god he's so hot and he'll judge me for this so hard! What do I say?_

“Hey, Marinette! I had no idea you were _ripped!_ ” He looked her up and down (as she just about died) with a cocked eyebrow and a surprised grin.“Wow.” _Nice. She's pretty hot with her hair up like that. And all sweaty, too. If Chat Noir were here instead..._

She stared agape, totally unsure of what to say. _Did he actually just say I'm_ ripped? “Y-yeah, I come every h-here so often...Because, you know, I like to lift things. With my hands. And then put them down again! No! I mean– OWCH!” She had been so caught up in staring at Adrien, panicking, and thinking of what to say that she completely neglected to hold onto the dumbbell in her right hand. It fell straight onto her foot with a sickening crunch, sending burning pain straight up her leg. She immediately dropped the other, yanking her foot up and against her body.

“Marinette! Are you alright? How did you just drop that weight?” He put his hands on her shoulders as she began to sway dangerously, her vision blacking out from the pain. He directed her to the nearest press to sit on. He watched with concern as she buried her face in her hands and took deep breaths. “Do you need me to go get some help?”

She shook her head furiously, pulling her face out of her hands to look up at him. Her lip was stuck out like she wanted to cry, but held it in. “I-I'll be fine! I'll be totally super fine! Ha ha, It's probably just...” She tried to wiggle her toes, but couldn't. She let out a pained sigh, “...broken. Ugh, God.” She wrinkled her nose, and let out a quiet, but firm, _“Fuck.”_

Adrien struggled to keep from laughing at her, despite feeling immediately guilty about even wanting to. But the first cuss he had ever heard from Marinette was so dainty and quiet, but she went right for the money with her word choice. The contrast of it all was, despite the situation, still pretty funny.

“You should probably go see a doctor or something. If it's broken you're not just going to be able to walk on it until it heals.” Adrien sat next to her, deepening the red on her cheeks.

 _He's probably right. It'll probably heal on it's own with the Miraculous, but that might make it worse if I don't have it set straight. Why did I have to drop a weight on my foot? And why did Adrien have to be here to see me like this?_ She sighed again, admitting defeat as her foot burning with what could only be described as hellfire. “Yeah. I probably should. I can...probably make it on my own though. I don't want to burden you with helping me.”

The Chat Noir in Adrien swelled, and he grabbed her wrist, ignoring the gasp it earned him from Marinette. “Not a chance, and don't think this is some kind of burden, Marinette! You're my friend. I'll get you there if I have to carry you! Come on, you're in pain, and wasting time isn't going to help any.” He stood up, pulling Marinette's arm over his shoulder. “Let's go grab your stuff.”

She hobbled alongside him, ecstatic about the contact with Adrien, but fighting back tears with every step. She eventually stopped even trying to put her foot on the ground, fully leaning on Adrien with every other step. But he bore it in stride. It didn't even phase him when she put all her weight on his shoulders. I had no idea he was so strong. She, involuntarily, let out a heavy sigh as she swooned. _I can't believe this is happening. The foot thing sucks, but at least Adrien was here to help! Although, it probably wouldn’t have happened without him in the first place. But, I could also not space out and drop a weight on myself at the mere sigh of him. I'm such a mess_. “My locker is right here.” She opened it, grabbing her bag. Adrien lifted it from her hands in a swift motion, throwing it over his shoulder. Marinette winced, hoping Tikki didn't suffer any impacts.

“The hospital isn't far from here....but do you want to sit down for a bit first? I don't want to push you too hard.”

Grateful for the excuse, she carefully lowered herself onto a bench, keeping her foot up and off the ground. It still hurt more than anything in her life, but at least she was getting used to it now. “Adrien?” She turned to look at him, but could only meet his eyes for a few seconds. “Thank you for helping me. You didn't have to, but I really appreciate it. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot.” She had to laugh, despite her pain.

“I can't figure out how you just dropped the weight on your foot, but I'm glad to help!”

“Well, I don't know. I was in the zone, and you just came along, tapped me on the shoulder, so I turned and I turned and saw your face and I just couldn't help it!” She let out an exasperated sigh, frustrated with herself for letting such a dumb accident happen.

“Wow.” He looked at her flatly. “I'm that ugly, huh?” His grin returned as her expression turned to pure shock. _Fishing for compliments is so below you, Adrien._ But he couldn't resist. And sweet Marinette was such an easy target.

“What? No! It was...exactly the opposite, actually. Your face is gorgeous! It's my favorite face! The best, really! I just see it and do dumb things because of how much I like it! ...Oh God. Adrien, forget I exist, please.” She buried her face in her hands again, hiding her blush and hating how hot her cheeks felt. “I can't believe I just said that.”

Adrien was taken aback at first, by how quickly and passionately she responded. He felt a little bad for baiting her that way, especially knowing beforehand how incredibly awkward she was, particularly around him. _She's like that around everyone though, right? She's just kind of...quirky like that._

“I can't do that yet, Marinette, sorry. We still have to get your foot looked at. Think you can manage?” He stood up, and held his hand down to her reassuringly. She uncovered her face, simply staring at his hand like she couldn't believe it existed. He waited, patiently holding out his hand for as long as he needed to. She'd get herself together eventually. She always did, somehow.

“Probably.” She grabbed his hand, but daintily, like she thought it would break if she grabbed it too tightly. So he decided to tighten his grip on hers. “It'll be slow going. I hope you didn't have any plans for this afternoon.”

“Nope, none at all! So don't worry about it, okay?” She looked so completely broken and sad in that moment, that Adrien felt his heart break for her. All he wanted to do was reach out and make her feel alright again, in any way he could. In this moment, he would do anything for her. “Let me carry you. It'll be faster, and you won't have to worry about accidentally tripping or something.”

“A-are you sure? If I'm too heavy, let me know. I don't want you to get hurt either.”

“Marinette,” He smiled at her, his warmth genuine, “Stop thinking about other people for once and be selfish. I'll be fine. I promise.” He bent over in front of her, offering his arms. She reached up, wrapping her hands around his chest in an effort to avoid strangling him. He quickly picked her up, hooking his arms under her legs. “Comfortable?” _She's a little more dense than I thought she would be. She's still not that heavy, but dang. Muscle weighs a lot, a guess. It reminds me of Ladybug, a bit_. Marinette was a lot like Ladybug, now that he thought about it. She was so selfless, caring, and always giving. Always thinking of others before herself.

“Mm-hmm.” She felt like she was going to explode. Her burning foot kept her grounded, but Adrien Agreste was giving her a piggyback ride. He felt so warm and comfortable beneath her, it sent a shiver up her spine, and a tingle through her limbs. Or was that her foot? She wasn't sure.

The walk through Paris was slow, but still faster than if Marinette had been forced to hobble. She was so tired after all the commotion. She rested her head between Adrien's shoulders, simply enjoying not having to move. She sighed contently. This was a moment that she could have only dreamed of until now. Except in her dreams, she didn't smell like sweat and have a broken, useless foot. Oh well, she'd take what she could get. Letting out a content sigh, she closed her eyes. Adrien readjusted his grip on her as her arms loosened, sending an awakening jolt of pain through her foot. She grimaced, but made no sound. She didn't want Adrien to think she was the sort of girl who cried over anything. I've been through worse than this and been just fine. _Ladybug would be fine, and I will too._

Feeling her jaw set on his back, Adrien knew he has jostled her foot a little too much. “Sorry. We're almost there, Marinette.” A horribly tired _“okay,_ ” was all the response he got. Good thing I've been getting so much cardio running around Paris. _Even with a Miraculous, I would never have been able to carry her this long and not feel completely exhausted a year or two ago. Although, puberty helped a lot with that._ He finally reached the hospital, shrugging his shoulders to wake Marinette. “We're here. Does the foot still hurt?” She snorted at him, something she never would have done without being incredibly tired, physically exhausted, and in a lot of pain. “Yeah, that was a dumb question.” He carefully set her down, allowing her to explain her situation to the woman at the counter. Adrien took a seat, waiting. It took a minute, but Marinette was escorted back into the building, leaving Adrien to sit it out.

He was surprised with himself for how much he worried in that time. His mind ran through every worst case scenario for Marinette, and he found himself wringing his hands nervously, wishing desperately for her to come back through the heavy doors of the ER. I've never felt this way about someone before. I worry about Ladybug, but she's so strong and capable, there's really no need. But Marinette...She seems so fragile, while being prone to disaster at the same time. It's really not a good combination. _All I want to do is keep her safe. Maybe I should stay with her for today, to make sure she's really okay. Although we've never really hung out before, I wonder if she'll even want me around?_ He tapped his foot on the ground, eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

After nearly and hour and a half of leaving Adrien to sit alone with his thoughts, Marinette hobbled back into view, leaning on a pair of crutches and sporting a casted foot, covered in a clunky boot.

Adrien jumped to his feet, closing the gap between them in a few short strides. He beamed at her, and have her a quick hug, being careful not to jostle her too much in the process.

He could almost feel the hotness of her blush, and just about turn to pudding in his arms. Without the crutches, she could have collapsed onto the floor. _Somehow, this is the best day of my life._

“I was worried about you!” He could barely contain his grin, matching the dorky, starstruck smile Marinette was giving him. “So, what's the diagnosis?”

She sighed dramatically, and gestured to her covered foot. “I have to wear a big, dumb boot and use these crutches.”

“For how long?”

“Two weeks, at least. Although the doctor said it wasn't too bad, considering what I did.” The realization that this was a part of her life now washed over her, causing her to involuntarily stick out her lip, letting out a small sigh. “Chloe is going to make fun of me non-stop. I really don't want to deal with that.” _And how in the world am I going to swing around Paris and fight Akumatized people with a huge, dumb boot? Chat would have a hay day with that._ She could already imagine the puns he would make, and she shivered. _Anything but that._

“Well, whenever Chloe sets foot in a gym and pick up a weight that's more than a few kilograms, she can judge you.” Adrien could hardly contain his grin as Marinette laughed. “Besides, I'll help you out. If you ever need me to carry your backpack, let me know!”

Marinette felt like her heart was going to burst. Now that she could ask him for help basically anytime, she had a perfect excuse to spend more time with Adrien, and maybe even get him to like her more. “I'll take you up on that. Actually, if you could help me out now, I still have to get home.” She beamed up at him. Her pain in her foot was manageable, now that she had a boot on it (and a bottle of painkillers in her pocket), but she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by.

“Of course! Although I can just call a ride, if you don't want to walk.” He grabbed her gym bag, tucking it under his arm.

 _Tikki is going to be so proud of me. Not for the hurting myself horribly thing, but the talking to Adrien thing for sure! I hope she's not too bored in there._ “That would be fantastic. Do you know where the bakery is?”

“No, but the driver probably will!” One call and a few minutes of waiting later, Adrien was helping Marinette into the back of a limo. “Careful! Maybe, sit down slowly and scoot your way back?” She practically fell into the vehicle, relieved to be sitting on something soft. She wiggled a to the other side. And, despite there being a middle seat of room in the limo, Adrien planted himself next to her, smiling softly at her, tipping his head in that puppy-like way that made Marinette crazy. Her heart leaped into her throat as she took the situation in. _Maybe smashing my foot wasn't so bad after all! I got this out of it, at least!_ She smiled back at him, lost for words. The limo started to drive, making its way through the city. Marinette lived on the complete opposite side of town, however, and knowing the traffic, it would take twenty minutes to get there, at least.

“So, Marinette.” Adrien grinned at her, in such a way that Marinette couldn't help but think of Chat Noir. _It's like that time Chat fell on top of me all over again. Or when he gets a particularly bad pun of_ f. But with Adrien, it excited her. Her heart raced, and she felt like she was on top of the world. She wasn't sure what she had done to earn that grin, but she sure liked it. “I was thinking, once your foot is all healed, maybe we could hit the gym together? I might actually go every one in a while if I had someone to go _with.”_

“I would love to!” She answered without hesitation, not realizing what she had agreed to until she already had. “I mean, yeah. When I work out though, I really mean it, so I guess if you don't mind me being pretty grunty and all sweaty when we're together that's fine, any time with you is-” She paused for a moment, realizing what word vomit had fallen out of her mouth this time. “Oh God.” She turned bright red, letting her head fall back onto the window of the limo. There was a long moment of silence, which Marinette was sure meant she had blown her chance of doing anything with Adrien at any point in the future. _I hope I get struck by lightning. Right now would be the perfect time, really, just kill me before I die of embarrassment._

A soft snort broke the silence and made her look up at Adrien. He snorted again, until he simply couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. He held his sides, laughing like he never had in his life before. It was so contagious even Marinette's shame couldn't keep her from laughing along with him.

“Oh, Marinette!” Adrien wiped below his eyes with his hands, still chuckling. “You're such a hot mess.”

She sighed heavily, but it was more playful than the ones before it, and she couldn't keep a smile off of her face. _He said I was hot._

“Did you have any plans for this afternoon, Marinette? If you're not too busy, I was wondering if I could hang around. I don't really have anything to do, and I want to make sure you don't fall the down stairs or something.”

 _If all I had to do to get Adrien to spend the day with me was break my foot, I would have done it ages ago_. “Or course! If you stay around long enough, we could probably have dinner with my parents, too!” _My parents! I should call them! I left home hours ago_! “Uh, just a second, Adrien. I should probably let them know I if I'm having company.” _And also that I broke my foot._

Marinette's last words barely registered in Adrien's mind. Dinner with her parents? He hadn't had a sit-down dinner with anyone since he was a kid...Since before his mother had left. The idea of it made him swell with happiness. He didn't know anything about Marinette's parents, but he didn't have to. If they raised Marinette, they were probably wonderful. He beamed, staring blankly ahead, thinking of the possibilities until Marinette tapped his foot with her good one.

“Adrien?”

“Oh, sorry. What's up?” She was still on the phone, holding it slightly downward to talk to him.

“Do you like fish?”

“Not really. It tastes fine, but the texture is just the worst, and I'm really allergic to shrimp and stuff.”

Marinette giggled, blushing lightly. “You're allergic to a lot of weird stuff, Adrien. No, he doesn't...Okay! See you then!” She hung up, still chuckling. “Mom and Papa are out shopping, but once they get back they'll make home-made dumplings!”

“That sounds amazing! I can't wait!”

“Me either! I love dumplings!” _Talking about food gives her the same dreamy expression as when she talks to me._ Adrien wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed it before, but now that he was spending some one-on-one time with Marinette, she was absolutely adorable. He had noticed that she was a bit eccentric before, certainly, but always in a group setting, and never directed at him. It was a breath of fresh air, after spending so much time with Chloe. Everything Chloe wasn't, Marinette was. And he liked that. A lot.

The Limo stopped, and the driver tapped on the glass separating the passengers from him. “That means we're here! Let me help you out, hold on a second.” Adrien shimmied out the vehicle, grabbing Marinette's bag in one hand, and offering the other to her. She took it, more confidently this time, and shuffled her up and over the seat.

“This might be a challenge.” But if Marinette was good at anything, it was figuring out what to do next. She grabbed onto the seat to haul herself forward, but she was completely interrupted by Adrien, simply reaching under her and pulling her out of the vehicle bridal-style. She yelped in surprise and clung to his shirt, not entirely sure what was happening.

“Calm down, I promise I won't drop you!”

Marinette, while ecstatic about the situation, wasn't convinced. He had a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, one she had seen before...but where?

As if one cue, he stumbled forward, letting out a sudden, “Whoa!” Marinette yelped again, burying her face into his chest and bracing for impact. The sharp sting of nervousness clutched her chest, but she wasn't falling. When she looked up, confused, Adrien was grinning at her from ear to ear. Suddenly, it clicked in her head.

 _I can't believe he did that._ “Adrien, that was mean!” She punched his shoulder lightly, frowning at him.

“I know, I know. I'm sorry.” He certainly didn't look sorry with a stupid grin plastered on his face and a victorious twinkle in his eye. But Marinette couldn't stay mad at him, not for long, anyway.

She let out a faux tired sigh. “I guess I forgive you. Just don't do that again, I don't think my heart can take it. My key is in my bag – If you put me down I can get it from here.” Adrien set her down, carefully, letting Marinette lean on him while she took her crutches off the top of the duffel bad. “Thank you, Adrien.”

He tipped his head. “For what?”

“Everything. You've been so kind and helpful today. I really appreciate it.” Marinette twisted the key in the door, swinging it open. “I don't think a lot of people would go as far to help me as you have. It's really nice of you. So thank you.”

Now, it was Adrien's turn to blush. “I think anybody would have. Besides, you're always so helpful and kind to everyone else. It was about time I returned the favor, right?” He scratched his head sheepishly, returning her smile as she walked into the bakery. _Marinette is the purest, kindest soul I've ever met. I'm sure of it. Well, maybe unless Chloe is involved, but that's excusable._ Adrien had never been to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery before, but he had heard about it from...basically everyone. It was such a small, unassuming place. But it was Marinette's home, and he liked it.

“This is it. It isn't much, but it's home!” Marinette beamed with pride, gesturing around the bakery. “There's nothing out because it's Sunday, but normally we'd have a lot of stuff lying around. If you come by on a weekday I'm sure I could give you a few samples.”

“I'll do that! It's great in here. I like how small it is.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! In my house everything is open and huge, but it always feels so empty and alone. But here, I bet with your and your parents around, it's lively all the time!” Adrien couldn't remember the last time he had simply run into someone in his mansion. He only ever found other people when he sought them out, or visa versa. “I'd love to know what that's like.” He turned back to Marinette, who's smile and faded. “I didn't mean to bum you out or anything. I was just kind of talking, sorry.”

“Don't be.” Marinette put a reassuring hand on his arm, and he smiled again. “If you ever feel that way, you're welcome to drop by here! Mom and Papa love having company, and...I'd like to see you more often, anyway.”

Adrien couldn't remember the last time he felt so welcome and wanted. Being here, with Marinette and her family...it would be like a dream come true. He gently placed his hand on hers. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that. I'll take you up on it sometime.” He let her hand go, noticing she didn't stutter, trip over her words, foam at the mouth, or say anything outlandish that time. He was proud of her, in a strange way. He wanted to tousle her hair and tell her she did a good job, but that might make her collapse again. “Do you have anywhere I can put my stuff? I'll stand here with you if you want to, but...I can't imagine you want to be standing much longer.”

“Oh! Yeah! We don't actually live, like, down here.” She laughed nervously, crutching her way to a door in the back of the bakery. “It''s all on the second floor, through here.” She paused, looking up the steps, her brows furrowed in thought. “How do you go up stairs with these things? Uh, here, hold them.” She shoved her crutches into Adrien's arms, hoisting her bum leg up with the stair railing.

“Knowing your luck, that railing is going to break.” He grinned, watching her slowly make her way up the steps, one at a time. _Wait, what if she thinks I just called her fat?_

Fortunately for him, the thought didn't seem to register with her. “I'm usually pretty lucky, fortunately for me. If I had consistent bad luck I'd probably be dead by now.” Adrien expected her to laugh, because that was a joke, right? But she seemed casually serious about it. She was almost halfway up the steps, Adrien following a few behind. From his angle below her, and the tight pink gym shorts she wore, he had to notice... Marinette had a cute butt. He lazily appreciated it as he followed Marinette, who was almost to the top. It was so distracting, he nearly had a heart attack when Marinette cried out, and began to tip down the stairs, threatening to fall. He gasped, dropping his bag and reaching out to catch her. But, she got to it first. She grabbed onto the railing, turning back to grin at him devilishly. He felt like his heart had skipped a beat.

“I deserved that.” his chest was still tight from the sudden shock, but he grinned anyway. He liked it when Marinette got a bit feisty. He peeked around the top of the steps after Marinette, appreciating the simple decor. It was a refreshing break from all the overly-extravagant stuff he was used to.

“You can put your stuff here.” she gestured to a corner with a messy pile of shoes. “I'm gonna go change out of these clothes, If you just want to wait on the couch or something.” She shuffled up the steps, a little faster this time. She wanted to wear her usual pair of pink jeans, but she couldn't comfortably get them over her boot and cast combination. She sighed. _I'll settle for sweatpants, then._

Adrien reclined onto the loveseat, appreciating how soft and comfortable it was. _I wish we would invest in some comfy couches. But if it doesn't look good, it just wouldn't do in the Agreste Mansion_. He stretched his legs, glad to be sitting again. _I had no idea I was so tired._ He reclined back, closing his eyes comfortably. The sound of Marinette tromping down the steps in her boot roused him, and he lazily looked over to watch. She held her boot up against her body, and hopped down the steps with the other, using the railing for support. She had changed into a simple t-shirt and sweatpants rolled up over her boot, carrying a fluffy blanket over her shoulders.

She flopped onto the loveseat next to Adrien, sighing contently. “So, I guess we have a few hours to kill. Is there...anything you wanna do?”

Adrien nibbled his lip thoughtfully. “Not really. What do you usually do for fun?” He knew she liked to sketch and make clothing, but not much else, if he was being honest with himself.

“I don't have a lot of free time. It's been so long since I've just been able to sit and think about it...I kinda forgot.” She shrugged sheepishly, It was painfully obvious she was exhausted. Even though she had made contact with the couch less than a minute prior, her eyes were already half-closed, and she murmured her words more then she spoke them.

“Do you...like...Anime?” Adrien felt like such a dork for asking. He didn't like to share his fondness for shows, after being tormented for liking. “A dumb kid's cartoon” by Chloe the one time he had offered a few years ago. But, Marinette was a bit more open-minded. Besides, she could simply relax while it played, which seemed like what she wanted to do.

“What is that?” Marinette tipped her head at him lazily, clearly confused.

“It's like...” _How do I not sound like an idiot who likes shows for babies?_ “A cartoon. But for adults? And they tend to be more action-y and mature, not like...a kid's show. I don't know.” _That was awful._

“That sounds pretty cool to me!” Marinette giggled from beneath her blanket, but Adrien wasn't entirely sure what part of his pitch she was giggling about.

All of it, probably. _At least she agreed to try it! That's farther than I usually get._ He pulled his phone out of pocket, picked the first episode of his favorite series, and propped it up on the table. He leaned back, satisfied with his choice. “Sharing is caring, Marinette. Want to split that blanket?”

She nodded, wiggling out of her cocoon. She handed him half, keeping the other tucked firmly beneath her legs. Adrien had to nudge a little closer to get his left side under the blanket.

“So wha'ssis show about?”

He gave her the simplest plot summary he could muster. “It's about a girl who gets powers from a cat and has to battle monsters who steal energy from people. That sounds a little silly, but I promise it's good!”

“Oh, m'kay.” She yawned, her eyes barely fluttering open afterward.

 _She's not going to make it through the first episode. I might not either. I'm way more tired than I thought._ His phone started to play, and he relaxed into the couch, Marinette leaning on his shoulder.

He woke to the smell of...something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was amazing. _Did I fall asleep? I did._ He checked his phone, which had stopped playing at some point while he was asleep. 4:55 pm, and he had a missed call from Nathalie. He had been out for two and a half hours _. I'll call Nathalie back later. If I'm already in trouble, what's another hour or two?_ He dropped his phone lazily, unwilling to get up. _Wait, when did I end up on my stomach?_ He lifted his head to look around the room. The light was off, leaving him with only the sliver of natural light left from the sun. Looking forward, Marinette was definitely still asleep. She was leaning on the arm on the chair, her lame foot hanging off of the couch, the rest of her sprawled out over the width of the loveseat. And Adrien was using her stomach as a pillow. The blanket had fallen uselessly to the floor below him _. We must have fallen over at some point, and slept through it. I should get up. I don't want Marinette's parents to walk in and make assumptions._ He sighed, hesitant to leave his comfortable position. But he did, pushing himself off of Marinette as stealthily as he could. _Being a cat does have its uses from time to time._ He stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt. Carefully, he picked up the blanket and draped it over Marinette again. She immediately murmured something inaudible, wrapping it around herself as she turned onto her side. _Cute._

Adrien left her there, not wanting to wake disturb her until he had to. He tip-toed to the top of the stairs, unsure of what his next move. He wanted to meet Marinette's parents, of course, but maybe just walking down the steps like he owned the place wasn't the best idea. He might as well get meeting her parents out of the way, right? He cautiously peeked around the corner, into the part of the bakery that doubled as their personal kitchen. Sabine was the first to notice him, and waved him into the kitchen.

He sheepishly inched forward, offering an awkward, “Hi,” and nestling himself into a chair. _Lord help me, her dad is huge._ Tom looked him over warily, obviously judging him, but smiled forcefully when Sabine nudged him with her elbow.

“Hi!” Adrien picked up on her slight accent immediately. He guessed that she was Chinese simply from her last name and Marinette's appearance, but he wasn't sure if she had been raised in France or not. “Thanks you for coming to visit!” She wiped her hands off with a towel as she walked towards him. “Marinette was very excited to have you over! And,” she turned back, raising an eyebrow at Tom but smiling all the same, “so are we!”

“Thank you. I'm glad to be here. Whatever you're making smells incredible already!” Sabine puffed with pride, clearly pleased to hear him say so. _At least I'm already in her good graces._

He made idle chatter with Marinette's parents, who were the most warm and welcoming people he'd ever met. Her parents were concerned for her foot, but seemed unsurprised. Tom started telling Adrien stories of all the clumsy things she did as a kid, while Sabine promised to dig out her baby pictures once she woke up.

Adrien mentioned that he spoke Chinese, and Sabine immediately began to speak it with him, leaving Tom horribly confused. She spoke much faster than he was used to, but felt he kept up well. Sabine seemed impressed, at least.

“Does Marinette know you speak Chinese?”

“I don't think so. I usually don't just bring it up.”

“Start speaking it to her someday,” She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand mischievously. “She'd be very surprised, I'm sure. Although I think your Chinese is better than hers! And speaking of our daughter, would you get her? Dinner is almost done!”

Adrien nodded, quietly making his way up the stairs. Marinette had rolled around in the blanket Adrien left her and wound herself into a tight blanket burrito. He laughed, taking a moment to appreciate how serene and sweet she looked, resting peacefully on the couch. But, she needed to get up. Adrien put a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her back and forth. “Marinette, c'mon, you need to get up.”

She buried her face in the blanket, letting out a quiet and pitiful, “Noooo.”

Adrien laughed. “I'm going to have to resort to some drastic methods if you don't get up.”

“No you won't.” She curled herself into a ball, wrapping the blanket around her as if it were a force field. Adrien sighed as a small, “Ow.” escaped from her shelter not long after moving her injured foot.

“Are you ticklish, Marinette?”

That got her attention. She poked her face out of the blanket, eyes narrowing at him. She stared for a few seconds, as if she wanted to challenge him, but she clearly thought better of it. Letting out a small sigh, she unrolled herself from the blanket lazily, rubbing her eyes. “How long did I sleep for?”

“About three hours, and dinner is ready.” Adrien held out a hand, pulling her off the couch and up to her foot.

 

  
“I think I'm gonna have to head out, Marinette. Nathalie's been trying to call me for a few hours, and I think if I put off calling her back any longer I won't be allowed to go outside anymore.” He laughed, but nervously. He wished he was kidding about it, but house arrest seemed like the kind of thing his father would punish him with. “I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay? Tom, Sabine, thank you for letting me stay for dinner, I appreciate it!” He gave Marinette a quick and careful goodbye hug, waved to Tom and Sabine, and left for home. It wasn't far enough to bother with calling a ride, so he opted to walk home.

“Let me at least walk to the end of the street with you. It's just being a good host!” Marinette insisted. Truthfully, she just wanted a few more minutes with him.

“You don't have to get up, Marinette. You should stay off that foot anyway.” He smiled, appreciating the thought.

“Eh, that's what the crutches are for, right?” She slid out of her chair before he could protest, picking up her supports and heading for the door. “Adrien shrugged, and followed her. “You really didn't have to do this, but thank you.”

“It's my pleasure, really.” She smiled at him, and he stopped walking. _Did I do something?_

“I'm really glad I got to visit, even if it was because you destroyed your foot.” He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “This might be a little personal, but it was really nice to spend an evening with your family.” He looked awfully sad, Marinette thought, for saying he had been so happy. “I haven't had a dinner like that since my mom left.”

“I'm sorry, Adrien.”

“That was years ago. It's...still hard, but at least now I'm old enough to understand why she left.” He looked up at the sky. “I'd like to do it again sometime, if you'd let me. It's nice to feel some warmth in a home every once in a while. I haven't been that happy in a long time.” He smiled at her, but the usual cheery sparkle in his eyes was gone.

“You can come whenever you want to. My parents love having company, and...I really like seeing you, for what that's worth.” Marinette felt her cheeks get hot, but at least she wasn't stammering like an idiot.

“I like seeing you too, Marinette. We should spend more time together.” He reached out, putting a hand on her shoulder. He let his hand slide down her arm, pulling away when he reached her crutch. He spend a thoughtful moment looking at her hand, and added, “I'm sorry for what happened, it was kind of my fault. I shouldn't have scared you like I did.”

“You didn't scare me.” She sighed. _If I'm gonna admit any feelings I have for this boy, I might as well do it now. Rip off the proverbial band-aid and get my rejection over with_. “Whenever I'm around you I just...do and say stupid things. I can't help it. I dropped the weight because I couldn't even think with you around!” Not really sure of what else to do, she laughed.

Adrien looked at her with a furrowed brow, confusion clear on his face. “Why?”

“Because I like you!” She let the words fall out of her mouth, before she could reconsider. She noticed his shocked look, and continued, “I like you a lot. And I have for a _very_ long time! I had such a huge, crazy crush on you my brain would short-circuit whenever you got within five feet of me, god help me if you spoke words to me, then I would just collapse into idiotic babbling and freaking out.” She wasn't even thinking about what she was saying anymore, she was just word vomiting until she felt like she had said enough. “You're always just so cool and calm, and you have a gorgeous face and body and you dress well and I just wanted you to notice me for the last three and a half years!”

He blinked at her, taking a moment to process all the things that had been said in a very short amount of time. He finally let out a small huff, and said, “I like you too, Marinette.”

“It's fine, I ge—wait, what?” She had mentally prepared herself for a swift and harsh rejection. But he was saying that he _liked_ her? "Like, _like me_ like me?"

He laughed, “Yes! I think you're an amazing person, Marinette. You're warm, friendly, and always doing things for other people. You stand for what you know is right, even when it's hard. I've been trying to be more like you ever since we became friends.” He smiled at her, stepped closer, and pulled her into a careful hug. “I meant it when I said I wanted to spend more time with you.” He buried his nose in her soft hair for a moment, taking in her scent and appreciating her warmth.

“I want to spend more time with you, too.” She hugged him back, nestling herself into his shoulder. “But in a non-platonic way.” She used this moment to appreciate everything about Adrien. When she had first met him years ago, he had a soft, round face and a slim, almost girly look to him. But the years of puberty had been very kind to him. His jawline was perfectly shaped, giving his usual kind smiles an extraordinarily sexy shot of gravitas. He had maintained his skinny figure, but his shoulders were deliciously broad, and he kept himself in excellent shape.

Adrien laughed, and Marinette laughed along with him. He gently pushed her away from him, to look into her eyes. Wordlessly, he leaned down, caressing her face with his hand, catching her chin with the crook of his pointer finger. Her heart nearly stopped as he looked into her eyes. With a swift motion, he lifted her mouth to meet his, and kissed her.

It was a quick kiss, but it still left Marinette reeling. She loved the feel of everything. The taste of his lips, his warmth of his body, the roughness of the slight stubble on his chin against her soft skin. She almost felt high. Marinette let out a gasp as Adrien pulled away. She didn't want it to be over! She was still only inches from his face, so she took the opportunity to put a hand around the back of his neck and pull him in again. He hummed into her mouth, surprised, but pleasantly so. Their kiss was longer this time, and with a burst of confidence that came from God-knows-where, Marinette pressed her chest against his, as much as her crutches would allow. He put his hands on her hips, carefully pulling her into him even more. Adrien nipped her bottom lip, sending a jolt down her back. She moaned softly, and he pulled away, grinning.

“I'll see you tomorrow, alright?”

She stared at him, unbelieving. _Is he being a tease right now? That's completely unfair._ “Y-Yeah, I guess so.”

He pulled her into his arms again, ruffling her hair. “Have a good night, Marinette. Thank you, again.” He stepped away, winking at her before he turned on his heel and headed home.

She stood dumbstruck for another moment, touching her fingertips to her lips. She could still taste him, but she could hardly believe it was real. With nothing to do but go back inside, she hobbled her way back to the bakery.

“He's a nice boy.” Sabine smiled at Marinette as she opened the door, awkwardly trying to get in without knocking her crutches out from under her.

“I know.” Marinette sighed dreamily, taking a seat at the table and grinning lazily. Spending the day with Adrien (even if she was crippled in the process and spent half of their time together asleep) and getting a hot, passionate kiss from him was like a dream come true.

Unfortunately for her, she couldn't sit and daydream, as much as she would have liked to. She had work to do. She told Chat she would patrol Paris with him tonight, despite the lack of Akuma activity lately. _He was probably just using it as an excuse to spend time with me, but I might as well go anyway. It can't hurt._ But, she had to figure out how to do that. Her foot would heal when she transformed, but she could hardly run around Paris with a boot attached to her foot. She had to figure out how to get it off, while still being able to put it back on. She wasn't sure what Adrien would think if she showed up to class with a fully healed foot after a single night. Probably horribly confused.

She idly did homework until it grew dark. Then she started work on her cast. The boot was easy to remove, it was just the cast that would be difficult. She hissed through her teeth as she vainly tried to wiggle out of it. The pain resurfaced, sending an awful burning feeling up her leg.

“Alright, forget this. Tikki?”

She flicked her out of the way of her earring, putting her spots on. She sighed with relief as she realized her cast and boot disappeared with the rest of her clothes during her transformation. She wiggled her right foot around, testing it. It felt fine, aside from being a bit sore. She'd just have to be a bit careful. She poked through her balcony door, and took off into the night. As she traveled, her mind wandered back to Adrien. Spending the day with him had lifted her spirits to new heights, and she couldn't contain her smile.

She met Chat not far from the Louvre, who simply stared, seemingly lost in deep thought, until Ladybug said his name. He jumped, almost threatening to fall of the lip of the building he was sitting on. “Ladybug!”

“That's me.” She sat down next to him, still grinning ear to ear. She looked over at him, sure he'd be happy to see her in the elated mood he was usually in. But the smile he gave her didn't reach his eyes, and was clearly forced. His shoulders were stiff, and he slouched as he sat, rather than sitting on his toes like he usually did. Something was definitely wrong. “You feeling okay, Chat?”

He grimaced, and turned to her. “I've just been thinking.” He answered vaguely.

“That hardly helps. If it's something I can help with, let me know, okay? You're my friend,” He deflated a bit more at the mention of 'friend', “and I want to help any way I can.”

He clicked his teeth together, clearly considering his options. He took a breath, like he was about to start talking, but exhaled wordlessly.

“I don't know what happened, but it must be pretty heavy stuff to get you down. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand.” She'd seen Chat like this before. He usually chocked it up to his home life, but this time seemed different. Chat was usually an open book about how he felt.

“No, it's just...I need to figure out how I feel about some things.” He stood up, crossing his arms as he scanned over the plaza of the Louvre. “You know how I feel about you, Ladybug. For a long time, you've been...my entire world.” He furrowed his eyebrows, refusing to make eye contact with her. Marinette waited patiently. He was going somewhere with this, she just hadn't figured it out yet. Regardless of what he said, she would hear him out. He deserved that. “And I know you don't feel the same way. You like someone else, right? We have no chance of ever...?” His emerald eyes snapped to her, so unusually unsure. She felt like he was trying to see into her soul.

She sighed. Her day with Adrien had been so wonderful. He had said and done such kind things, been such a gentleman, and seemed happy to do anything she wanted to. He had said he wanted to spend time alone with her. He had kissed her. Her kindling fire for him had been renewed into a savage flame, and her seemingly childish dreams of the past three years were finally coming true. There was no way she could give that up now. “Yes, I do. I don't think we'd ever work out as long as he was around, Chat.” She answered confidently. She had told Chat she wasn't interested in him romantically before, but he usually shrugged it off. This time was final, she knew. But somehow, he didn't look as disappointed as she thought he might after such a firm rejection. He looked a bit relieved, even.

“That's alright.” Marinette was honestly a bit shocked at that. She wasn't sure what response she expected, but it was anything but that. “Because I think I like someone else too. This makes it easier to be sure.”

That was not what she was expecting at all, but still... “I'm happy for you, Chat.” She really did want him to be happy, after all. Someone else would be good for him. Pining for her for so long probably wasn't doing him any favors, after all. He seemed to consider her words for a moment, and his usual grin returned. He stood a bit straighter, and laughed. It was nice for Marinette to hear. Chat was always good at bouncing back, no matter what the circumstances were.

“You'll have to tell me about this girl sometime, Chat. She must really be something!” She winked at him. She began to walk across the railing of the building. They were still patrolling, after all. She was just a bit careful with her right foot. The last thing she needed was to trip and hurt it all over again. Adrien was nice about it, and Chat would probably be too, but she'd get some jabs for doing something dumb.

His eyes glittered like he wanted with all his heart to say something, but he held back and answered, “Only if you tell me about the boy who stole your heart from under me.” He followed her lazily, taking a slightly more energetic path than she did as he jumped from railings to windowsills and back again. _At least he's back to his old self. I hate seeing him bummed out like that._

She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to talk about it with anyone, really. Alya wasn't available and bottling up her happiness was “Hmm. Maybe some other time, Chat. I don't want you getting jealous!” She laughed, flicking the bell around his neck, sending a dainty ring through the night. He rolled his eyes, but grinned. Their banter and idle conversation continued into the night. Once, he stared off into the distance again, like he had when the night began.

“Thinking about her again, Chat?” Ladybug teased.

“No.” He answered plainly. “I was just thinking, what if there was another villain who came to Paris, but he took away people's emotions?”

“What.”

“No, think about it! This villain takes away emotions, but Hawk Moth uses people who feel too much! Do you think they would have to battle each other for villain dominance? Because neither one can be in power if the other is! That would be so cool! Who do think would win? Probably the other guy, unless Hawk Moth is actually a secret martial arts master and doesn't exclusively use other people.” His grin returned suddenly, a child-like sparkle in his eye.

“I will _never_ understand you, Chat Noir.” She rolled her eyes. The night was catching up to her though, and she yawned. “I'll see you around, Chat. I think it's time for me to head back home.”

“Alright. Same time next week? Unless disaster strikes, of course.”

“Always!”

Marinette raced her way back home, excited to simply sleep. After all, the sooner she slept, the sooner she'd wake up. And the sooner she woke, the sooner she'd be able to see Adrien again. She released her transformation as she climbed into her room, exhausted, but happy. Her boot came back with the rest of her clothes, but it didn't hurt anymore. “Great. Now I get to wear a big dumb boot for no reason.” She forcefully kicked it off and sighed, collapsing onto her bed. She wrapped herself in her blanket, smiling as she drifted to sleep.

 

 

The next day, Marinette woke up to her phone vibrating her face. Nobody texts me this early. She groaned, unlocking her phone. It was a text from Adrien.

**Need help with carrying things to school? You're not far out my way!**

She gasped, and squealed with excitement. She texted back as quickly as she could:

**Sure! I'll meet you at the end of the street. And I can bring some macarons for your trouble!**

She flew out of bed, and into the shower. When she was ready to go, she was so excited she nearly forgot to grab her crutches and put her boot back on. She had another text from Adrien, that simply read:

**YES.**

Giggling, she snatched a box of pastries on the way out, she did her best to look like she actually needed the crutches she leaned on. Adrien was already waiting at the end of the street when she got there. His small, distracted frown immediately changed to a charming grin when he saw her. Her heart felt like it was going to melt at the sight of his smile. _I'll never get used to how cute that is. Especially when he's doing it at me!_ “Good morning, Adrien!” She grinned like the happy idiot she was, hobbling towards him as fast as she could.

“Feeling any better today, Marinette?” He reached for her bag, which she carefully shrugged off, being sure to hold her foot up off the ground for dramatic effect. He slung it over his shoulder, simultaneously leaning in for a quick kiss on the lips.

Marinette beamed. _I wasn't dreaming. If he kisses me like that, does that mean we're dating? Oh my God I think it does._ “I am, thanks to you. The pain kind of comes and goes, but usually it's bearable. Not moving it around last night helped a lot.” _I shouldn't be able to lie this well. I guess that's one of the many perks of being Ladybug._

“Well, if it gets too bad, let me know and I can carry you again.” He turned and winked at her. “Or I could just do it anyway.”

She had no idea how to respond, other than to smile at him like the starstruck fan girl she was. It took her a moment to mentally recover, and she responded, “I think I'm okay to walk.” _Adrien is my boyfriend now, I think. I can be confident around him! I just have to try._ “A kiss might make me feel a bit better, though.”

He beamed at her, clearly pleased she was coming out of her shell. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a side-kiss on the cheek. “Whatever you need, I'll do my best to provide! So, I don't mean to sound rude and impatient, but... You brought those snacks, right? I haven’t had breakfast!”

She laughed, nodding. “They're in my backpack. The green box. I didn't know you loved sweets so much.”

“I usually don't get to have them, so I pounce on any chance I can get! Besides, I bet these are the best macarons I'll ever eat! Your parents are awesome!” He dug through her backpack without shame, humming victoriously as he grabbed the box. He immediately opened it, and popped a pastry into his mouth.

Marinette reached over, pausing her fake hobbling to take a thoughtful bite. “Last night went okay, right? You sounded like you might be in trouble for being out so long.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but it's not a big deal.” Marinette wanted to believe, but the sad look in his eyes made her certain he wasn't telling her the whole truth. But, she didn't want to pry on anything he wasn't comfortable with. If Adrien wanted her to know, Marinette figured he'd tell her on his own time.

At the steps of the school, Marinette sighed. She remembered the stairs. She still hadn't figured out how to ascend stairs with crutches. Mostly because she hadn't tried out of fear of falling and breaking some other important body part in the process, but that was a minor detail. Adrien noticed her pause at the base of the stairs, and chuckled. “Need some help?”

“I think I've got this.” She put her good foot on the first step, leaning heavily on her supports. “Think being the keyword there.” She lifted herself up a single step, lifting the crutches to the same step as her left foot. “Now I just have to do that about twenty more times. Great.” Adrien practically jumped up the stairs, a shit-eating grin plastered onto his face the whole time. He wiggled his eyebrows at Marinette from the top. “Rub it in, why don't you, Adrien.”

“I'm trying to provide encouragement through example.” He waited patiently for her at the top. “I'm surprised you're not more tired from that. Just watching you made me exhausted.”

“I'm ripped, remember? But maybe next time it would be easier if I just used the railing...” She let out an unhappy huff. _I probably wouldn't mind as much if I was actually still hurt, even a little. At least then I'd have a real reason to do it_. She pushed herself into the classroom, Adrien walking next to her, hand on the back of her shoudlers. It was hard to believe how much time had passed since Marinette began her double life as Ladybug. She was a senior now, due to graduate from High School in the following May. Friends had come and gone, but many familiar faces remained in the classroom. Most pleasant. One in particular not at all so.

Adrien stared at Marinette for a moment, far more intently than usual, like he was studying her. Marinette didn't even notice and kept walking towards her seat until Alya, who she had been waving to, subtly pointed at him with a fair amount of concern. Confused, Marinette looked over, saw where his gaze fell, and looked down. She didn't have anything on her shirt. Nothing seemed out of place. _Did my boot come loose or something? What is he looking at?_ “Can I help you, Adrien?”

He seemed to snap out of his daze, looking up at her sheepishly. “Oh, uh...” He flushed red, something Marinette rarely saw. “This might be a dumb thing to say out loud. But, you know, because you're so fit...”

_Oh Lord help me._

“Do you have a six pack?” He looked at her, eyes shining with excitement. It was like watching an 8-year-old ogle a LEGO set. She turned beet red, hanging her head down. She sighed, giving him the most exasperation look she could manage.

“Uuh, yeah. kinda.”

“What! Can I see it!?” _He's so genuinely excited about the idea of me having abs..._

Nino chuckled from his seat, “Damn, Adrien. At least ask her out to dinner first! Ha ha-- Oof!” His laughter was cut short by a swift smack to the back of the head, courtesy of Alya. But it was too late. Marinette turned the reddest she'd ever been in her life. Her cheeks and nose were on fire, and she hid her face in her hands. Adrien simply looked confused, tipping his head at Nino. A few moments later, he fully processed what had been said, and the implications it had.

“I mean...” He rubbed the back of his head, as if he wasn't sure how to continue. “Are you busy at noon?”

“Oh my God,” Chloe slapped her heavy book on her desk unceremoniously. “ _Please_ stop talking. I can't handle how much dumb and awkward is in this room right now.” Her and Adrien weren't much for friends anymore, after he had given her the scariest verbal scolding Marinette had ever seen in her life, after another one of her cruel and petty comments had Akumatized a fellow student for what felt like the hundredth time. Marinette's only regret had been not getting to her first as Ladybug. Since then, Chloe had been cold as ice to Adrien and generally despised his existence. Which Marinette was pretty okay with.

He glared at her, but sat down.

Alya stared at Marinette, unbelieving. Her expression told all. 'What happened and why didn't I know about it immediately.' “Marinette, how in the world did you end up with crutches and a big ass boot?”

“By being a clumsy dumb ass, probably.” Chloe didn't bother to look at Marinette as she insulted her. She looked idly at her nails, rubbing them with her thumb.

Alya jumped to Marinette's defense with a sharp, “Fuck you.” Chloe scowled, but turned away and began to mind her own business.

“Please stop.” Marinette sighed. She could only handle so much humiliation in one day. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I was at the gym, and I got nervous because Adrien showed up and I dropped a weight on my foot. Then one thing led to another, he came over, had dinner with us, and kissed me as he left. I think we're a thing now?”

“You _think_?” Alya facepalmed and groaned. “How do you not know?”

“I didn't ask! But I assume so, since we-” She stopped talking as Alya reached across the desk, tapping Adrien on the shoulder. He turned to her, resting his cheek on his palm.

“Can I help you?”

“Yeah! Marinette just told me what happened last night! Are you guys together now or what? Marinette said she doesn't know!” Marinette wanted to die. Alya could have said that much more gracefully than she did.

Adrien glanced over at Marinette. He raised an eyebrow at her, and slowly, carefully, began to say, “Yeeeeeeeeesss?” Marinette raised an eyebrow, nodding as if she were answering a question. Which, apparently, she was. Adrien's immediate switch from a questioning side-glance to a goofy grin forced her to laugh. Alya looked at her smugly, peering over the tops of her glasses.

“See? Was that so hard?” She grinned, clearly pleased with her wing-womaning abilities.  
  
Marinette rolled her eyes, but Adrien was grinning at her like an idiot. She liked it. “So, Marinette.” He turned his chair around, leaning onto her desk with his arms crossed.

“Yes, Adrien?” She all but purred his name. _I hang out with Chat too much. I'm starting to act like him._ She leaned forward, resting her chin on interlaced fingers. Adrien looked up at her, with a strange hunger in his eyes she had never seen before.

“Are you busy at noon?” Her stomach tied itself in knots. The way he purred his words, looking up at her with a lopsided smile...She felt like she was going to melt under the heat of his gaze.

She glanced briefly at Alya. The two did have plans that afternoon. Alya returned her glance like she had asked her what two plus two was. It spoke volumes, and Marinette knew that Alya would be beyond pissed if she didn't go with Adrien. “Not until we decide on something.”

“Can we go back to your place? I think you set me on a pastry bender I can't control.” His smile was innocent, but Marinette's throat tightened at how much his eyes betrayed him. “Plus, we started something last night and never finished it. I'd like to, if we could.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. Marinette turned bright red. Alya kicked her leg under the table, biting her lip to contain her devilish smile as she fanned herself with her hand.

“Of course,” Marinette replied coolly. But she felt exactly the opposite. Adrien winked at her, turning his chair around again as the teacher stalked into the room.

Marinette couldn’t sit still for the next four hours. Her mind raced, her stomach turned, and overall she wasn't sure if she was incredibly, horribly excited, or vomit-inductively nervous. Adrien had made it clear his intentions for their lunch break were less than pure. She couldn't describe the feeling it gave her other than so, so hot. She drummed her fingers on her desk unendingly with her left hand, and clicked her pen with her right until Alya slapped the utensil from her hand and across the room. “I deserved that.”

When the lunch bell rang, Marinette was frozen in position. Adrien shot out of his chair, spinning around to grab her backpack before she could get a word of out her mouth. “Ready? We've only got an hour.”

She blushed furiously. “I-is that enough time?” She stammered, awkwardly rising to her feet. “I feel like we should probably-”

“Trust me Marinette. Is it ideal? No. Will we make due? Yes.”

 _What in the world got into him? He's acting like Chat Noir_. Marinette sighed. She couldn't deny she found something incredibly appealing about it, though. Chat was, after all, pretty good at what he liked to do. Which was be attractive and flirt with her as much as possible. Maybe that'll stop, now that he's found himself a new girl. Though, Marinette never considered Chat the kind to break old habits easily. She'd have to wait and see.

Adrien had opted to give her a piggyback ride back to the bakery. She'd be a bit too slow otherwise, he said. She didn't mind at all, of course. And now that she wasn't in excruciating pain, she could fully enjoy the experience. She fully appreciated the feeling of him moving lithely beneath her and his strong arms holding up her legs. She leaned into him, as he carried her, gently running her fingers over his shoulders and chest.

“Marinette?”

“Yes?”

“You should stop doing that finger thing. It's _very_ distracting.”

“Mm, sorry, not sorry.” She purred.

Adrien arrived at the bakery a bit sweatier than he intended to get at that particular point in time. He leaned a bit, allowing Marinette to swing the bakery door open. Her parents were incredibly busy at the counter, prompting Marinette to quickly add, “We're having lunch here, thanks mom! Love you!” As Adrien carried her to the upper level, waving to Sabine as he passed.

Adrien paused at the top of the steps. “Where to from here? You'd probably know the best place to get a bit of, ah, peace and quiet.”

Marinette flushed, and pointed to the ladder that led to her room. “Up there.”

It was a bit of a struggle, but Marinette managed to wiggle into her bedroom while still making it look like she had a foot injury. She sat down on the bed while Adrien shot up the ladder, kicking the trapdoor shut behind him. He gracefully strode towards the bed, pouncing on Marinette and pushing her down against the bed, holding her wrists in his hands. She looked up at him, breathlessly, face flushing. It hardly registered in her brain. Adrien was on top of her, grinning like a hungry animal, and she wanted everything he had to offer. He pressed himself down against her, peppering kisses in her neck and shoulders. He hummed into her neck, just below her jawline, sending a shiver down a back and creating an intense, aching desire in her body. “Are you ready to finish what we started last night?”

“Absolutely.” He grinned, wrapping his arms around her, using his weight to roll her on top of him.

“Good.” He grinned devilishly, reaching down under the covers. Marinette straddled his hips, not entirely sure what to do. Adrien dug his hand into his pocket, swiftly pulling out his phone.

“Adrien, what are you doing?” Marinette wasn't sure what he was up to, but she wasn't sure she wanted to get a phone involved.

“Finishing what we started last night! You only made it through the intro of Sailor Moon before you fell asleep! You have to watch it, Marinette, it's so good! If we start now we have time for two episodes! ...Marinette, did I do something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? ”


End file.
